Chapter 9 – Damon

"Can you stop bouncing your foot?" Clata uttered, and I scoffed. "The minute you stop breathing in my personal space, I will," I muttered. She huffed and glanced out the window. Luca, driving the car back to the pack, let out a low whistle. "This should be interesting. How happy I am to witness such a dynamic duo," he murmured. I rolled my eyes and cursed my father mentally. I hadn't expected him to want to meet her so soon. I'd thought we could marry and then go our separate ways until I needed to introduce her to my father and the pack. But no, my father wanted a family meeting immediately. That old man better start counting his days.

"If your leg touches mine again, I'll break it," I muttered, glaring at her. She gasped. "I didn't even touch you!" she exclaimed. I scoffed. "Well, I can feel your presence, and it's bothering me," I retorted. She scoffed. "Well, you have to deal with it because we're married now. Do you think I want to be here with someone like you? I'd rather kill myself," she muttered. "Then do that and save me the agony," I retorted.

"Guys! Calm down, you just got married. This is supposed to be a happy day. Why are you already fighting?" Luca said. Samson, in the passenger seat, snickered. My attention snapped to him. "Is this funny to you, Samson?" I asked slowly. He immediately shook his head, the laughter gone from his face. "No, Alpha," he replied.

"Laugh again, and I'll rip out your tongue," I threatened. I heard Clara gasp lightly but thankfully, she remained silent. I was already tired of hearing her voice. What was usually a short drive felt like an hour. The closer I was to her, the more feral my wolf became. Her scent and everything about her excited him, while her presence bothered and infuriated me. How could my wolf and I feel so differently about her?

Upon reaching the pack gate, Clara gasped, staring around with wide eyes. "Your pack is situated in the mountains? This is so beautiful," she murmured, awestruck. A sense of pride welled up in me, but I didn't show it. She continued to gush, Luca answering her questions.

"We're here, Alpha," Luca said, pulling up in front of my mansion. I sighed before climbing out. As expected, my father stood in front of the house, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at me. Clara got out and walked towards me. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close. She gasped softly.

"You have to act like you can stand me in front of my father, and I'll do the same, okay?" I murmured. She sighed and nodded. I led her towards my father, with Luca trailing behind.

"Good evening, Father," I greeted. He raised an eyebrow. "Father? You're already influencing him positively, miss…" he trailed off. Clara smiled.

"I'm Clara, Alpha King. It's an honor to be in your presence," she said, bowing her head.

"None of that, dear. You're my son's mate, so you're practically the next Luna of this pack. You are his mate, and not someone he hired, right?" he questioned. I rolled my eyes. "Fortunately, I am. It's such a privilege to be mated to someone like Damon, and I'm sure he feels the same way about me, isn't that right, husband?" she asked, turning to me. I forced a grimace into a smile.

"Of course, wife. Father, we need to rest, so I'll be taking my wife inside to get her settled. I don't have the energy for the whole family right now," I said. He shook his head, grabbing Clara's hand.

"Nonsense, everyone is waiting inside. Your mother already prepared a dish, and they're all excited to meet your new bride," my father said. I groaned. "But…" He was already leading Clara into the house before I could protest. She glanced back at me, panic in her eyes. I sighed. "That old man is getting on my nerves more and more each day," I muttered to Luca. "It wouldn't be that bad," he murmured as we walked towards the house. "You gave the old man a key to my house, right? I'll deal with you later," I threatened. He visibly gulped.

I walked into the house and saw my mother smothering Clara with hugs and kisses. "Oh, Damon, she's so beautiful. My son is a little blunt, but I'm sure he'll treat you right since you're his mate," my mother said. Clara gave an awkward laugh.

"Mother, that's enough. You all need to leave; Clara is tired and needs to rest. Isn't that right?" I asked, walking toward Clara. She shook her head. "I don't mind them being here," she said. I glared at her. "Well, since she doesn't mind, then there's no problem, right?" my mother said, grabbing Clara's hand and leading her toward the dining room. I groaned and followed. This was going to be a long night.

I could hear the loud chattering of my relatives before entering the dining room, but as soon as we did, they fell silent. "Everyone, this is Clara. She's Damon's bride and mate," my mother announced. Clara bowed respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet the Alpha King's family. I hope we'll all get along," she said. Someone scoffed—my step-cousin, Alicia.

"And how do we know she's not some gold-digging slut? That seems to be Damon's type, and she definitely looks like it," Alicia said. Everyone gasped. My mother turned to me nervously, then back to Alicia with a glare.

"That's just it, you'll never know. Even if I were a gold-digging slut, Damon is my mate, so I can dig his gold however I want. Isn't that right, hubby?" Clara interjected with a smile, glancing at me for confirmation. For the first time, I smiled genuinely at her. "That's right, wife," I said. She was a fiery little thing—stubborn, but fiery. I was suddenly intrigued. Maybe Luca was right; this could be interesting.